Rewritten
by autobotgirl12328
Summary: Machines were not always the way of Cybertron. Once, it was the home of man. One day, it changed and so came the war for power. AU.
1. Chapter 1

A/N

Experimental story. I understand humanized stories are mostly frowned upon or poorly written. I hope I can accomplish the vision I have for this story. Wish me luck, read and review.

Chapter 1

There was nothing like sitting on the train, watching the colors of the outside world swirl together and roll by. It almost was enough to forget about the three hour long journey from Iacon to Kaon. Orion looked down at his paper. He was supposed to arrive at the Kaon station at exactly seven in the morning. He was to be greeted at the station by a Mr. Richard Tools. Orion turned back out the window. This was the first time he'd been out of Iacon in his life. It was a strange feeling.

"Mr. Pax, the next stop is yours."

The train attendant offered him a small bag and then continued down her path. Kaon was rumored to be second only to Iacon and one of the most prosperous cities on Cybertron. It was also the base of all military actions on the entire planet. Orion remembered several history lessons on Kaon, and its evolution into such a military base. Most of it was common knowledge though, stuff about attempted coups and power-hungry people.

The train began to slow. The outside world was slowly as well, revealing the tall buildings and landscape. It did look an awfully lot like Iacon, thought Orion, though it was said that the atmosphere was worse here than anywhere else. He could see some people wearing gasmasks. Some of those sitting around him were pulling theirs out. Orion didn't have any, but luckily the attendant offered him one before leaving. She also offered that if he was heading for a meeting to check his appearance.

After a quick fix up of his hair and tucking in his shirt, Orion left the train and entered the station. The air was definitely thick but breathable. Orion barely used his mask, allowing it to hang around his neck. The station wasn't much, mostly metal walls thrown up around the tracks. Several people scattered around, running off to their own meetings. Orion sighed, looking for the escort that was supposed to be leading him to the base.

"Mr. Pax!"

Over the throng of people, Orion just managed to see a rather short man maneuvering his way toward him. Medium in height, dark hair that looked like it hadn't been combed in a while, bright eyes and a small board that read "Pax", the gentlemen eventually managed to make it to Pax and offered a hand to shake. Orion took it gladly.

"Sorry for the delay. The captain held me back a bit longer than was intended. I'm Richard Tools, call me Richard, though most call me Ratchet," the man introduced. "I'll be your representative during your stay at the Kaon Mission's base."

"Thank you," whispered Orion. He wasn't much for talking more than he ought to.

"We best be going. The lieutenant and colonel aren't much for waiting. The captain even more so," chuckled Richard, leading the way through the crowd.

"Alright."

The two left the station, revealing the rest of the city. Orion smiled. This was very much like Iacon. The buildings stretched up tall, reaching for the falling sky. It offered an enclosed feeling with buildings of every side and a torn red sky about. Glancing up, Orion saw some dark clouds. Hopefully, it wouldn't rain anytime soon. It was dangerous to be out in the rain.

"Kaon is something isn't it," offered Richard, looking back at Orion. "Only been here a few years myself, lived in Tagon Heights until then. How about you?"

"Born and raised in Iacon," answered Orion.

"Nice."

"Are we walking the entire way?

"Yeah. The base isn't far. Soon, actually, the station with be a part of the base. The colonel and captain are working to get that approved by the city council."

"Colonel Trion is in charge here, is that right?"

Richard glanced back, slightly puzzled by the inquiry. He nodded, however, and continued leading the way. Sure enough the base wasn't that long of a walk. The base was surrounded by a moat with rain water in it, had a bridge leading from land to the base, and looked as regal as castle in folktales. Richard scanned a card at the door, and the two large entryway doors creaked open. Within, the base was bustling much like the city was outside.

"I need to check in with the captain, but you can look around if you'd like," nodded Richard. "I'm sure the lieutenant or even the colonel is walking about. You could always talk to them."

Orion watched Richard fade into the crowd of people. The doors shut loudly behind him, though no one seemed to notice. He let out a sigh, looking around. The first floor looked more exciting than the second, where there were more people in lab coats and goggles. The floors above could not be seen. Several people stopped to look at him, but no one talked to him. Orion sighed.

"What are you doing?"

Orion froze, perking slightly, and looking around. A man was marching too him. He wore a tight suit, clicking shoes and the most aggressive expression Orion had seen yet. The crowd of people avoided him at all cost, merging around him and continuing on their way. Obviously this was someone of importance. Either way, the man stopped in front of Orion with hands behind his back.

"Who are you?" he snapped.

"Orion Pax. I'm the archeologist that was hired."

"Archeologist? Oh my…Come here!"

The man took Orion by the arm, dragging him through the base. It was one way to see the base. On the first floor, Orion could see an abundances of offices, a medical bay, a mechanical bay, planning room, rec room, and several housing rooms. Eventually, they began to see the higher officers' offices. One room was the captain Richard had kept mentioning. At the end of the hall, was a metal door, barely a jarred, with the label "Colonel Trion" beside the door.

"Colonel!" shouted the man, throwing open the door.

The office was small, quaint, and looked like that of a pencil-pushing worker with white walls, a couple of frames hanging, and one open window. An older gentleman sat behind a small desk, looking up slowly upon the man and Orion's entry. Orion smiled, though the man didn't notice. Colonel Trion nodded, standing up.

"Lieutenant Sentinel, I would prefer it if you knocked before entry," hummed the colonel.

"Who is this!?" snapped Sentinel.

"That is Orion Pax, our new resident archeologist and historian," nodded Trion. "Welcome, my boy."

"I was not informed of this," grumbled Sentinel, finally releasing Orion.

"I did not feel that it was important. My apologizes."

"I'd prefer to be notified before we add any new personal!"

With that, the lieutenant left, slamming the door behind him. Trion chuckled, coming around the desk and offering to shake Orion's hand. Once that was done, both took their seats.

"I didn't hear of your arrival, Orion. I'm glad to see you again. I haven't seen you since I visited Iacon a few years back," Trion offered.

"It has been a while since last we met, hasn't it," nodded Orion.

"As talkative as ever," hummed Trion, shaking his head. "It will be good to have you work outside your comfort zone. Richard is a good assistance as well. I'm sure you should be on well terms with everyone, though the lieutenant and the captain might give you some trouble."

"I will keep that in mind."

"This base is rather low when it comes to excitement. I'm sure your arrival won't do anything to upset that balance."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The archeologist site was nothing special. There was a trailer, housing a majority of the plans and the minor discovered items. Orion couldn't make out more than twenty-five or so people. He only knew Richard, who was leading him around. They stopped by the map of the site, where Richard pointed out where everything was located.

"The trailer is over there. Other than that, the most important part is probably the drilling hole. That's where we dig down to look for our artifacts," Richard explained.

"Why are you guys doing an archeologist dig? I didn't think that the military would care for such things," Orion mumbled.

"I told you, we're trying to connect to the train station. While we were trying to make the foundation, we found something strange. Colonel took it and had it checked out. We were told it was an invention by the late Primus."

Orion smiled lightly. Primus was a genius of two centuries back. Rumor had it that Primus had invented several to thousands of things that were lost to time and buried within the planet. Finding his invention was like discovering a new element, it was near impossible.

"So I'm just here to verify, right?"

"Yep."

Orion looked around. He caught sight of the drill activating. It was an energy power drill, glowing blue before shooting down into the earth. Pausing for a moment, watching in amazement at the glittering blues showering into the depths of the earth, then the archeologist part of him activated and he raced toward the drill. Richard perked, chasing after.

"Orion!"

"Stop! Turn it off!"

Orion shoved aside two soldiers, reaching the controls and slamming the lever down. Another soldier gripped Orion by the shoulders, tossing him back onto the ground. Orion groaned, glancing at the drill shutting down with a whizzing noise and shriek. Richard finally arrived, offering the other soldier a salute. Orion sighed. Another authoritative figure he angered.

"What do you think you're doing!?" shouted the soldier.

"Captain…I'm sure he had a reasonable explanation," mumbled Richard.

"I wasn't talking to you, Tools!"

Orion looked around, slowly getting to his feet. He looked the captain right in the eye and began toward one of the tables. The captain and Richard followed.

"Who do you think you are? We're just to do our dig here," snapped the captain.

"I'm sorry but if I've learned anything from my lessons it's that we don't use huge energy drills for delicate work like this," Orion argued.

"We did a scan. There isn't anything down there. We're going to use it as a shaft for more tunnels," explained the captain.

"I don't care. You can never be too careful," nodded Orion, grabbing a harness from the table.

"What are you doing now?" sighed the captain.

"I'm going down there to make sure that nothing was broken," Orion explained.

"What makes you think I will let you?" hissed the captain.

"What is your name, captain?" Orion snapped.

"Captain Alan Megatronus."

Orion stopped, looking at the captain. A man of probably forty, greying hair, deep eyes and a stern expression, Captain Megatronus seemed more frightening than Sentinel did the day before, and yet Orion didn't feel as frightened. He finished wrapping the harness around him and turned for the tunnel.

"I'm doing this whether you want me to or not. It needs to be done," Orion nodded, looking into the depths of the hole.

"Samuel! Hold it!" ordered Megatronus.

A small young man came running up, quickly taking Orion's harness rope. With a deep breath and closed eyes, Orion took a jump into the hole. Darkness swelled around, collecting in his throat and blinding him. The rope slipped quickly from Samuel's hands until Megatronus stopped it with one hand. He snarled at the subordinate.

"Pax, you good?" called Megatronus.

"Yea," answered Orion in a slightly quieter voice.

Darkness was all he could see around him at first. Focusing his eyes, Orion located a ground floor beneath him. His feet just barely touched it. He smiled, looking back up.

"Captain, lower me a little more, I've found a floor," requested Orion.

"That's impossible. The tunnel should be at least twice as far down."

"Nope, there's a metal roof here. I'm standing on it."

Orion stepped down of the metal roof with a clink. He looked up at the sparkling sunlight above, or at least as much sunlight that could make it through the stormy clouds. It was going to rain today, whether they wanted it to or not. Orion looked back down at the metal roof. It was dusty mostly, and that was the only true description of it. Wandering on the roof, Orion felt around to see how stabilized the rest of the roof was. Instead he found a hatch.

"I've found a hatch!" shouted Orion, kneeling down beside it.

"Oh no you don't! Do not investigate!" ordered Megatronus.

Orion felt the harness pull him back, carrying him in the air. With a groan and a tug, Orion released the harness, landing back down on the metal roof. He could hear the captain cursing up above. Somehow that made him smile. He kneeled back down by the hatch, throwing it open with two mighty tugs. Darkness swarmed inside. Orion sighed, but jumped in.

"What do we have here?" he gasped.

The walls were lined with something. It was hard to see in the dark. Orion dug into his pocket, searching for any way to light the room. Finding a small flash light, he switched it on and looked around. He froze.

_"__Pax! Pax, answer your walkie!"_

Orion slowly pulled his walkie talkie out of his pocket. Walking up to one of the things lining the walls, he placed a hand on the leg of the great machine.

"You guys need to get down here. You are not going to believe this."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N

Thanks for the great support thus far. This is my last complete n ready chapter, so updates might get slower.

Chapter 3

Orion couldn't help but smile. He had made the greatest discovery of his time. A complete set of legendary Cybertronian battle machines. Two sets! Orion felt proud of himself, as a fresh out of school archeologist. His find was already buzzing around Kaon. Trion and Sentinel were making discussions for it, while Megatronus and the others were moving them out. Whatever that crate was made out of, it was sturdy enough to withstand the power of the Energy Power Drill.

"Orion."

Orion stood up from his chair, holding his brief case. Sentinel snarled, motioning for Orion to enter the room. They had been talking for hours, making Orion wait for directions. Orion sighed. He had done his job fully, though no doubt the discovery would have been made without him, if anyone had cared to examine the cite. Orion entered the meeting room. Sentinel, Trion, Megatronus, Richard, and one other sat around the long table. They all looked up upon Orion's arrival. The door shut behind him.

"Orion," hummed Trion. "Have a seat."

"I'm unsure why I'm needed for this discussion?" Orion mumbled, sitting beside Richard.

"You're historical experience might be needed," Trion nodded. "Have you any knowledge on what we have uncovered?"

"The machines?" Orion sighed. "Built by Primus shortly before his death. It is rumored to be a…last resort for the descending atmosphere. It was said to work as a…"

"Armor," finished Megatronus. "Its a suit?"

"Supposedly. We know very little about the truth behind any of Primus' works," Orion instructed.

"Which is why we have our top mechanics looking into it," Sentinel grumbled, motioning between Richard and the other man. "Orion, I don't believe you've met Kyle Curts, our other resident mechanic alongside Mr. Tools."

"Hello," offered Orion.

"So, we gonna get this party started," grinned Kyle, leaning back. "I can't wait to see how these things…tick."

"We're repairing them, Kyle, not dismantling them," snapped Richard.

"Until then, the dig is being postponed, until we are sure we've got all the machines out," Sentinel snarled.

"What!?" howled Megatronus, jumping to his feet. "And what, pray tell, and I'm supposed to do until then! My job is the construction of this site."

"And now, your job will be to assist Orion in decoding some of the information we have been able to locate within the stronghold," instructed Sentinel, getting to his feet. "You are to wait for further instructions, understood."

"Yes, sir," hissed Megatronus, storming out of the room.

"We should get to work, as well," sighed Richard, moving to leave.

"Alright then," smirked Kyle, following Richard out.

Sentinel soon exited as well, after a salute to the Colonel. Orion sighed, looking over at Trion. The old Colonel chuckled lightly, nodding. He stood up, moving slowly to Orion's seat. He patted him on the back.

"You've done good, son," hummed Trion.

"This place is nowhere near like Iacon," chuckled Orion.

"Has some fun around its corners, yes," agreed Trion, leaving. "Good luck with the Captain. He may have a short temper but he is dedicated to the cause."

Orion sighed, sitting in the conference room alone. This was definitely not like Iacon.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N

Sorry for its shortness. I've got all sorts of TF ideas buzzing in my head. So many ideas and not enough time to update all of them.

Chapter 4

Orion fumbled with the alarm clock, struggling to end its senseless bleeping. Luckily, his sprawling flailing eventually successfully ended the noise. Orion groaned, sitting up. The little room wasn't much, though growing more homey. A little bed, a desk with computer, a dresser and a little makeshift closet. He sighed, making his bed and moving to the closet for a change in clothes. Another day, another chance to get yelled at by the good old Captain.

_"__Orion, you up?"_

Orion rubbed his eyes, looking up at the Communications link beside the door. It took him a moment to realize it was Richard trying to call him. Orion stumbled to the door, clicking the to return Richard's call.

"I'm here, Richard. Anything new?" Orion offered, moving to get his pants on.

_"__Working on reconstruction. Mostly cosmetic right now, because that's all Kyle seems to be good at."_

"It'll work out. I have faith in you."

_"__And you with the Captain?"_

Orion sighed. Two days, it had only been two days since they uncovered the relics but Captain Megatronus was already bearing down on Orion with military protocols and the futility of Orion's work. Trion and Sentinel had done little to help Orion with his work relation. Sentinel didn't like Orion much anyway.

"I'm…staying patient," whispered Orion. "I've got to go, Richard. Keep in touch."

Orion had a mostly routine day. He would go to the Kaon Library, which was the second largest library on Cybertron. He was searching for any information on Primus and the machines they had pulled out. Information of Primus, however, was short coming. The mythological inventor left very little information on himself, except the few notebooks that came up every now and then, most of which were located back at Iacon.

Though the Kaon Library didn't last long as the Captain would usually call up in a huff about the findings and future digging. Today, Orion didn't even make it to the library before he got the call. He groaned, reluctantly answering his phone.

"Hello?" Orion sighed.

_"__Where you at?"_

"Captain…I was, uh, on my way to the Library."

_"__Again? Don't you ever get tired of that place."_

"Just…trying to keep to my research," Orion sighed.

_"__Got time to come over and go over that so called research?"_

"We've gone over my research!" Orion didn't mean to shout. Patients, right. "I've got to get the library, Captain."

_"__We'll meet for lunch then, when you're done."_

Oddly enough, the captain hung up. Orion sighed. He didn't like arguing, especially to those that out ranked him. He put his phone away, continuing on his way to the library.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Orion felt uncomfortable, sitting across from the Captain. Alan spun the straw around in his drink, watching the ice cubes spin around in a spiral, clattering together frequently. Orion gulped, fumbling his fingers over his research folder. He'd been using all of his time to research lately. It was something he really enjoyed and with this Primus artifacts event happening.

"You're not much of a talker, are you, Mr. Pax?" hummed the Captain, glancing up.

"I'm not sure what you want to talk to me about," mumbled Orion, slumping slightly in his chair.

"What have you found out about our artifacts?" Alan nodded.

"Well," perked Orion, flipping over his folder. "They do match some of the entries Primus had written about. They were constructed in order to survive the worsening condition of the atmosphere and planet surface."

"So they're suits?" he mumbled.

"Supposedly," agreed Orion, "They are picky though. Primus wrote about how they-they being the suits- were picky about who rode them."

"Self aware machines?"

"No…they just…certain machines required certain mental state," Orion explained. "Mental state, personality, physical state, emotional…"

"A lot of junk for a survival suit," grumbled Alan.

"That's probably why Primus kept them hidden," nodded Orion.

"You have a family?"

Orion took a moment to register the question, slowly closing his folder and looking up at the Captain. Alan was back to spinning the ice in his glass with his straw, avoiding eye contact

"Family?" whispered Orion.

"Mother, father, siblings, girlfriend," replied Alan, glancing up.

"My mother and father are deseased. I never had any siblings. I'm…not currently dating," sighed Orion.

"Got a crush?" grinned Alan. "I once knew a sparky little thing that I wouldn't mind meeting again."

"I…knew a girl…back at Iacon," mumbled Orion, trying not to blush.

"Girl got a name?"

"Ariel…" blushed Orion, looking away. "Why do you ask?"

"I was just curious if you had anyone in your life that worries about you here in the big city," shrugged Alan.

"Iacon was a fairly big city, Captain," countered Orion.

"Nothing like Kaon," grinned Alan.

"Born and raised, I assume."

"Indeed."

Alan dropped his straw into the glass, turning to Orion and leaning in. He grinned, lining his finger tips together. Orion gulped, feeling the red in his cheeks burn.

"Is…something wrong?" murmured Orion, avoiding eye contact.

"You are just a strange little person, Mr. Pax. Why did you even take this job? What possessed you to jump into that mining hole?" Alan hummed.

"I…I don't know. I know Trion. We're old friends…"

"Old friends?"

"He taught in Iacon for a while. He helped me with my studies," nodded Orion.

"Alright."

"As for jumping into the mining hole. I was worried about the possibility of you damaging something valuable," Orion grumbled.

"Nonetheless, it was stupid," snapped Alan, leaning back. "Do you think they'll fix the suits?"

"I trust Richard. He'll get things done," nodded Orion.

"You haven't met Kyle, have you?" perked Alan.

"Sentinel introduced me," explained Orion. "Richard is losing his tempers with him."

"Most people do," grinned Alan. "Kyle gets things done though….when he puts his mind to it."

"I should…get to work," Orion mumbled, getting up. "Richard wants me over later to see the machines. I have to double check my research beforehand."

"Research, research, research. That's all you think about, isn't it," sighed Alan.

"It's what I'm good at," smiled Orion. "That way I'm not in any one's way."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Richard seemed anxious when Orion arrived. He and Kyle were busily moving about their joined office, placing and moving folders, papers, tools and boxes until Orion could almost visibly see the anger pour out of Richard. Kyle merely grinned, raising an eyebrow and snickering. Before Richard completely lost his cool, he spotted Orion in the doorway. He gulped down his anger, spinning on his heels and offering Orion a smile.

"Is it time already?" gasped Richard.

Orion nodded politely. "I can leave if you're busy?"

"No, it's fine!" groaned Richard, swiping a folder from Kyle's hands. "Right this way…"

The two stepped into a adjoining hall, lined with the Primus armors. The center shaft was open, revealing internal workings that would support that of an average person. The heads were lowered, hands at their sides, almost standing at attention. Each figure seemed similar in design but subtle changes in the armor showed different strengths and weakness between them.

"We've discovered a few classes among the armors, can you tell?" grinned Richard, motioning to the armors.

"They do look different from each other," Orion nodded.

"Two medical class, one scout class, two demolition class, Communication class, two intelligence class, one Sentinel Class- he chose the name, not me- and finally two commander classes," Richard instructed, finishing the tour by pointing at the last bot in the row.

Orion looked up at the mighty machine, noting the sparking in its eyes. He grinned lightly, pulling his folder out of his bag. Part of his researcher involved an old book from the Primus bunker. He hadn't spent much time looking at it, mostly because it was a bunch of gibberish he hardly understood. He flipped through it, stopping at a similar image to the machine in front of him. There was only one word on it he could make out.

"Prime," mumbled Orion, smiling lightly.

"Prime?" perked Richard.

"It was a word used long ago," explained Orion. "It was said that a Prime is that chosen by the stars and universe to lead the people to peace and prosperity. A Prime is that of honor, strength, trust and integrity."

"So this is a Prime," grinned Richard, glancing up at the machine. "Why would Primus create such a machine?"

"No idea," shrugged Orion, closing the book. "How do you find someone to go inside it?"

"Well each machine is picky when it comes with users," sighed Richard. "So far, we're testing everyone in the base."

"Everyone?" perked Orion.

Orion wasn't one for needles but the sudden prick to his arm sent a chill down his spin and nearly made him scream. Richard pulled out the needle, which was no full of Orion's blood. He grinned innocently, titled his head to one side.

"Everyone," he repeated. "So, I read your medical file and I didn't want to have to worry about pinning you down in order to get a sample."

"Was that necessary though?" grumbled Orion, rubbing his arm. "Do you have any matches yet?"

"Kyle and I are matches for the medical drones," hummed Richard. "As for the others, we're working on it."

"Can two people match for the same machine?" questioned Orion.

"No, not so far," Richard sighed.

There was a knock on the door that echoed across the lab. Kyle waved toward Richard. He snarled, storming away from Orion to open the door. Sentinel marched in, shoving Richard aside. Orion stood in the doorway between the main lab and the hall.

"Mr. Tools, how is the work coming?" he hissed.

"Well, if you didn't keep bother us we'd get further along," mumbled Richard.

"But your friend is allowed in?" grumbled Kyle, winking at Orion.

"Orion," hummed Sentinel, perking. "I didn't see you."

"I just came to see how everything was going and if I can be of any assistance," Orion explained.

"The tests are running now," Richard added. "I was just showing Orion one of the leader classes. Primus even gave this one a name."

"Oh?" Sentinel glared.

"Prime," Orion nodded.

"Never heard of it," snapped Sentinel. "Show me."

Richard led Sentinel and Orion back to the end of the hall, motioning toward the Prime Class machine. Richard pulled up a ladder unit beside the machine, offering Sentinel and Orion up. The ladder had a small platform that extended directly in front of the center cockpit.

"So one just enters here?" questioned Sentinel.

"Yes, but the two have to be perfectly aligned," instructed Richard. "Heart, mind, body, soul."

"These things concious?" perked Sentinel.

"No but do search for something specific to bond to. A medical class needs some with such expertise, either in mind or body," Richard nodded. "The higher up the class, the less possible matches."

Orion leaned on the edge of the platform, peering into the cockpit. There were straps for the body, for the wrist and ankles. Several piping and wiring seemed to attach to the body, directing the mental signals to the machine rather than the body. Orion wanted nothing more than to feel what it was like to be inside it.

"Orion, be careful!" gasped Richard.

Orion leaned too far forward, hitting his head on the wall of the cockpit. The system sparked, whirring and hissed. Sentinel grabbed hold of Orion's shirt, pulling him back onto the platform. Falling back onto the platform, Orion caught a fleeting glimpse of the machine's golden blue optics fading back into darkness.

"What was that?" whispered Orion, looking up as he rubbed his head.

"What kind of idiot are you?" snapped Sentinel. "Can you not get into trouble for just a second!"

"I just wanted to see this," grinned Orion, sitting up. "I've studies Primus' works but never up close before. This is a once in a lifetime chance!"

"Yeah…" mumbled Richard, looking wearily down at Orion. "Once…in a lifetime."

"Something wrong?" perked Orion, getting to his feet.

"No, just thinking," coughed Richard, looking away. "I need to get back to my tests."

"I've been thinking," Sentinel smiled. "When these tests are done, you'll be announcing them to the rest of the base."

"Rest of the base?" gasped Richard. "I was just going to tell those who had been selected!"

"Why not enjoy this. Once in a lifetime, right?" grinned Sentinel. "We can make a good show of this."

Sentinel patted Richard on the back, taking his leave down the ladder. Orion groaned, rubbing the back of his head. It still hurt and this whole mess wasn't helping. Richard mumbled under his breath, holding his head in his hands. Orion smiled lightly, leaving as Richard continued talking to himself.

"I guess I'll see you at the show then," sighed Orion, sliding down the ladder.

"I guess," grumbled Richard, looking back to the machine. "I've gotta look into something."

"Alright," mumbled Orion, looking dazed. "See ya…"

Orion left, wondering why Richard was suddenly so lost in thought.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Orion entered the main hall late. It was already crowded, forcing him to stand in the doorway. Richard stood on the stage, deep in conversation with Kyle. Sentinel and Trion stood nearby, watching the crowd settle. Orion sighed, watching the curtains pull open to reveal the machines, standing in line.

"Am I too late?"

Orion perked, looking to his right. Alan came up beside him, folding his arms. He offered Orion a grin. The crowd silenced, directing their attention to the stage. Kyle shoved Richard forward, rocking on his heels. Richard fumbled with the microphone but eventually got it working.

"Hello…everyone…" mumbled Richard, voice echoing across the hall. "As you are all well aware, we've discovered some old Primus machines. After some testing…we have selected a group of men and women to continue work on it. Here's the list…"

Richard hesitated, turning back to Kyle. He mumbled some words which Kyle quickly argued back. The microphone picked up Richard's groan as he raised the clipboard up and went to read from it.

"For our two medical classes, Kyle and myself," instructed Richard.

Kyle did a mini cheer in the background.

"Billy Bulk and Benjamin Roadside, Demolition class."

Orion hadn't met them but the crowd seem to part around them. Both were rather big in size but the two held themselves differently. Billy was dressed in casual uniform, hair combed back and eyes avoiding everyone else's. Benjamin wasn't in uniform, hair spiked, grin showing off sharp teeth. A few people began clapping until Richard continued

"Ally Cesar and Samuel Howler, intelligence class."

Ally was a tall woman, short hair, and well figured. She didn't seem to appreciate those around her as they clapped, except for one man clapped for her. She blushed with one look at him, hiding her face with her hands. Samuel, which Orion had actually met before back at the construction site, glanced around after his name was mentioned. He messed with his hair, smiling lightly. Orion heard Alan beside him groan.

"Simmons Wave, Communication Class."

Simmons didn't move, didn't emote. He stood perfectly still, hands by his side, head lowered. His uniform was perfect, down to his perfectly shined shoes. He nodded gently as the crowd parted around him.

"Lieutenant Sentinel, Sentinel Class," groan Richard.

Again, Richard stopped, reviewing the list. If memory served, Orion thought, there were only two classes left: Scout and Leader. Three people who would get to control the last machines. Richard snarled, marching up to Sentinel and Trion. They talked for a moment, almost loud enough for the microphone to pick up on it. Eventually, Sentinel pointed toward main stage. Richard spat out one last word before return to the main stage.

"Uh…Bobby…Johnson…" mumbled Richard, lowering the mic. "Scout class."

The crowd perked, suddenly growing talkative. Orion wasn't familiar with Bobby, but as the crowd parted, he spotted the young soldier. He was probably a recent recruit, no higher than private. His light hair was over gelled back, showing his pale skin and blushed expression. Richard turned back toward Kyle. The other scientist gulped, shrugging.

"Alan Megatronus, Leader Class Omega," sighed Richard. "And…for, uh…Leader Class Prime…um…"

Richard whispered into the microphone, making the name unheard. The crowd grumbled, already on edge about young Bobby getting selected out of the rest of the valuable soldiers. Richard glanced back at Sentinel and Trion. The former was on edge, glaring at Richard, while the latter was pleasantly grinned, waiting for the final name.

"Leader Class Prime is…" gulped Richard. "Orion Pax."

The crowd returned to their frenzy. Orion perked, completely frozen. Alan stomped a foot down, joint the crowd in screaming at Richard. The poor scientist whimpered, running over to Kyle and handing off the mic. Kyle gapped, fumbling with the mic as Richard ran off stage. Sentinel chased after Richard, followed soon after by Kyle. Trion grinned lightly, nodding, then left.

"Prime class…me…" whimpered Orion, stepping backward. "That…that can't be…"

"There some mistake and we're getting to the bottom of this," snapped Alan, grabbing Orion by the wrist and dragging him out. "C'mon, Orion."

"Captain!" gasped Orion, stumbling behind.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Orion felt out of place, surrounded by a bunch of arguing soldiers. Everyone was furious or shocked by the announcement and their selection in this trail. Orion stood in the background, cheeks burning red from embarrassment. He could hardly breath. He didn't know what to think about this whole mess, being chosen from the lot to man the Prime Class armor. Alan stood not far in front of him, arms crossed and shouting with all the others.

"You are Orion?"

Orion jumped, spinning around and stumbling back. Samuel, no Simmons. The quiet man had snuck up behind him, standing completely still and motionless like a statue. His uniform was primed and pressed, nearly detailed like a computer simulation. His eyes were overshadowed by the lip of his hat, make his face consist of only his silhouetted nose and thin lips.

"I'm…Orion…" replied Orion.

Simmons' mouth twitched, curling lightly on one side. He titled his head back a moment, giving Orion a clear view of the man's eyes. Orion gulped. Simmons had a deep scar running down his left side, ending at the curl of his lip. His eyes were almost pale white, but were actually a subtle grayish color. The smile quickly flickered away, head lowering, shadow recovering his eyes.

"Simmons," he whispered, offering a hand.

Orion shook it gently. The hand was cold. Simmons wandered off, joining the crowd of arguing people. Several others leaked from the group. Orion kept close to the wall, eyeing the ground. He felt out of place, wishing he'd stayed at the library until this whole thing blew over and someone just told him what had occurred when he returned. He sighed, looking up.

"Who are you, sir?"

Orion jumped again, raising his arm to shield his face. Reaction speed was low, he thought bitterly to himself. The person in front of him was rather young, short and thin. Slightly tanned, the young man had dark blond hair and deeply blue eyes. Meeting Orion's gaze, the boy lowered his head, blushing. He stood up straight, raising a hand and saluted. His mouth twitched, trying to remain as unmoving and unemotional as possible.

"You must by Bobby Johnson," perked Orion.

The boy relaxed a little, lowering his arm and opening his mouth slightly as if to speak. He gently nodded, avoiding eye contact. Orion smiled lightly. The boy shimmered with the light of innocence and the smell of a new recruit. Orion wasn't sure if he'd washed that smell off of himself yet.

"Are you Orion Pax, sir?" hummed Bobby.

"Orion is fine, no need to call me sir!" gasped Orion, waving his hands in protest. "I'm not a soldier or an officer. Technically, you outrank me, huh?"

Bobby's eyes lit up, head lifting up to look at Orion. He smiled, nodding. Obviously, the kid needed to here that. A soft chuckle from behind. Orion and Bobby looked over to see a large man. He was dressed in a blue jacket and white pants. The man greased back his hair, which was an unnatural shade of white, almost like it had stained his original hair color. He grinned at them, eyes narrowed.

"Oh please, this runt doesn't outrank anyone here," he chuckled. "He don't belong here. You don't either, nerd."

"Lay off, Ben."

Orion spotted another large man come up behind the other, resting a hand on Ben's shoulder. Ben snarled, shaking off the other's hand and storming off. The new visitor smirked, almost childlike, fixing the buttons on his uniform. Orion took a moment to recall the individuals name from the announcement earlier.

"Billy, right?" mumbled Orion.

"Yep," grinned the man. "You're Orion right? I hear you're friends with Mr. Trion."

"You know Trion?" gaped Bobby, grinning with delight.

"He once was my teacher but I hadn't heard from him in a while until this job opened up," Orion explained.

"This job didn't open up, you idiot."

Orion groaned, glancing with the others toward the new entry to the conversation. Ally, if Orion remembered correctly, stepped up beside Billy, arms folded across her chest. Her uniform, which was a lovely shade of blue, stood for intelligence. The heels she wore, which improved her height, clicked until she stopped just barely in front Billy. Her hair was pulled back into a pony tail, trying desperately to hide the single pink streak in it.

"Trion made the job just for you, no one else would do for him," she added.

"Oh?" hummed Orion. "I wasn't aware of that."

"As far as the Lieutenant or the Captain were aware, you and no one like you were coming," she continued. "The Colonel spoke highly of you to some of his close supporters. He wanted you here. Why, no one is sure."

Orion gulped, suddenly feeling a massive amount of pressure put on him. What was Trion thinking?

"Orion, you're here too?"

Richard stepped up to Orion's side, clip board in hand. Orion glanced to Richard, then Bobby on his other side, and finally looked up at Ally and Billy. Something felt…right about this group. The second Richard finished the circle, Orion felt something burning in his chest. Without thinking, Orion offered Richard a grin, nodding.

"I wanted to talk to you about the testing," sighed Richard. "Technically, we're not done. I mean…the others need to go through one final test."

"What test?" snapped Ally.

"Orion, you remember the other day, you fell into the Prime class?" Richard mumbled.

"Yes," nodded Orion.

"You fell?" mumbled Ally.

"I'm not graceful, okay," Orion sighed.

"You saw a spark, the glow of the eyes," Richard nodded. "That's what we're looking for when it comes to a match for the machine. Kyle and I got our machines to spark when we entered but could not mimic the result when we switched."

"So we need to see if the machines react to us," Billy grinned. "I can dig this."

"And if we fail?" questioned Ally.

"Then we move to the next person on the list," Richard nodded.

"And if we pass?" whimpered Bobby.

"We continue testing," Richard smiled. "Which will be seeing how the body and the machine work as one, how much the machine can do, and any damaging effects to the organic body due to prolonged use."

"Are you saying these things could kill us!?" gasped Ally.

"They were thought to be some of Primus' unfinished works," murmured Orion.

"I'm not willing to die for this cause!" snapped Ally.

"This could save the lives of the entire planet!" howled Richard. "If we get this system to work, the failing atmosphere won't matter anymore! We might actually have a future!"

Ally turned away, lowering her head. Orion sighed. Richard walked away, looking down at his clip board and instructing the others to leave. The work would begin tomorrow. Two teams would be set up. Since there were two leader classes, Alan and Orion would lead the two teams. Richard explained the team would be determined later, announced tomorrow. Orion watched the others slowly wander away. Eventually, only Richard, Kyle, Sentinel, Alan and Orion remained.

"So this it," whispered Orion. "I'm a part of history."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Orion had somehow over slept. He managed to be nearly an hour and half late for the last tests and assessment. To put it mildly, Orion had trouble getting to sleep which led to him oversleeping, completely missing his alarm. He had stayed up all night thinking about the path a head and how the world was changing around him. Prime Class. Prime. How could he be a match for something that held such honor.

Orion burst into the lab, panting and huffing. Red faced, he looked around, finding everyone in the hall. He dashed over, running low on energy and stamina. He slowly stepped up into the back of the group. Richard glanced over, spotting him over the heads of the other. Orion panted, gasping for air.

"Not much of an athlete, are you?"

Orion groaned, looking over to his right. Alan grinned, arms folded across his chest. Orion smiled lightly, still breathing heavy, but standing up straight. From the looks of things, Richard was explaining to the others how the machines worked, pointing out the cockpit on each of the machines.

"Do you think this will work?" Alan sighed.

"I'm unsure," mumbled Orion. "I feel like there's been a mistake."

"A mistake?" gasped Alan. "There's been tons of mistakes with this lousy project from day one! You in the Prime Class is just a minor thing compared to some of the problems we could've had or might have later one!"

"So you're not worried about being in the other Leader Class," whispered Orion.

"Not at all," Alan grinned. "I've been told I was born to lead. Besides, I've wanted to help make changes to this place and maybe this is a way to get on that path."

"Changes?" repeated Orion.

"We're going to try and power up the armors for everyone, now," instructed Richard. "There's enough ladder platforms for everyone. Suit up!"

The group dispersed, heading up to the cockpits of their respective robots. Richard gave a deep sigh, looking over at Orion and Alan. He smiled lightly. From the looks of things, Richard didn't get much sleep either. Orion sighed, watching Alan and Richard head toward their machines. He gulped, wandering toward his own mech.

"What's the worse that could happen?" gulped Orion.

He stood at the top of the platform, glancing around at the others. While most were already strapping in, Bobby was hesitant. Orion wanted to say something but it would be awkward to just shout over to him. Bobby glanced over to Orion, looking weary. Orion offered a smile and a thumbs up. The kid smiled lightly, stepping into the suit. Orion gulped, stepping in. Standing in the cockpit, feeling the straps glide over his wrists and ankles, Orion finally noticed all the people below monitoring them from below. Orion gasped, watching the glass slide down over him, metal hiding the outside world.

Orion fell into darkness, hardly feeling the straps on him. He knew what was happening, after all Richard had explained it to him. Some wiring would line the back of his neck, along his arms, legs and torso. It was connecting his mind to the machine. They were becoming one. It was hard to believe one could disconnect after this process. A slight pinch happened everywhere at once, causing Orion to gasp. He couldn't breath.

Orion panicked. He couldn't feel the air moving into his lungs. Opening his mouth, he desperately gasped for air but found none rushing in. His eyes watered, reacting to his panic. He could feel his heart race in his chest, pounding and echoing in the chamber. He couldn't hear anything, no voices, no breath, no echo. He had no choice, no options. He couldn't take it much longer. He shut his eyes.

Suddenly noise and light burst into him. At first the noises were nothing but buzzing, the light nothing but blinding. Eventually, the noises became distinct voices, clearing up at the time progressed. He opened his eyes slowly. The darkness was gone. The light began to lessen, detailing the room. He was in the hall. He never left, of course. Everything seemed so much smaller though. Everything was slowly clicking in his mind though. The machine. He was in the machine.

"Orion…can you hear me?"

Orion lifted his head. It felt like lifting weights, something he was never very good at. His neck felt strained. Squinting his eyes, the room continued to focus until another machine stood in front of him. It was well detailed, colored in red and white. The eyes glittered blue, looking Orion over from head to toe. Orion opened his motuh, again feeling the strain from lack of use. The machine grinned lightly.

"Not stress it, your systems will wake up at their own paces. I just wanted to make sure you were getting along alright," the machine spoke.

"Richard…" the voices that came out of his throat didn't sound like his. It almost sounded like Alan or Sentinel, someone of authority.

"Yes. It's me, Orion. Everyone's coming along but since Kyle and I have done this before, we settled into place quickly. First time is always the hardest," he explained, pushing the laddered platform away. "Can you move your arms? Try your fingers first."

Orion glanced down. A feeling of falling. He could see his legs, stretching down below him. His hands were at his sides, large and shimmering in the light. He groaned, trying to feel them. Eventually, he felt them, watching them twitch. Richard grinned again, watching both hands curl into fists. Orion lifted his head, slowly. It was starting to feel natural.

"The…others…?" he struggled to ask.

"Coming along," explained Richard. "To be completely honest, they've already finished adjusting."

Orion felt confused and was obviously expressing that as Richard let out a sigh, glancing over his shoulder. He leaned in, pulling Orion off the wall. His legs kicked in, stepping out to stabilize himself as he leaned forward. Richard helped Orion stand successfully.

"There was a little…unexpected problem, is all," mumbled Richard. "We…weren't expecting it."

"Problem?" perked Orion.

"With the Leader Classes," sighed Richard. "You and Alan were…delayed."

"Delayed?" Orion could only manage to repeat what was told to him. His voice ached with each word.

"Alan finally woke up just before you," nodded Richard. "But you both have been out for a few hours."

"Hours?" gasped Orion, stumbling away from Richard.

He grasped onto the wall for stability, motioning for Richard to let him stand. Richard sighed, rubbing the back of his head. Orion was beginning to feel the rest of his body instead of the numbness in his legs and arms. Things were going smoother, natural. He sighed, standing up straight. This was normal, an extension of his body inside.

"I've been out for hours? How many?" Orion mumbled, getting used to his voice.

"Just a few. Two, three at the most," Richard instructed. "It was like something else was being downloaded that the others didn't have."

"It just…felt like seconds," Orion sighed. "The others? Where are they?"

"Testing, in the other room," nodded Richard. "We're seeing how they vary in speed and strength."

"And you stayed with me?" Orion whispered.

"From what Kyle and I can tell, this and his are designed specifically for medical purposed of the other machines," explained Richard. "As your machine's doctor, I needed to stay here until I figured out exactly what was going on."

"So you're a doctor now," grinned Orion.

"Yep. I'm Doctor Tools now," chuckled Richard. "I need a cooler name."

"How about Ratchet? You said people call you that," offered Orion.

"I never thought of that," mumbled Richard, stroking his chin. "Maybe we could all have code names."

"I don't think that suits me, but it might be fun," nodded Orion, placing a hand on Richard's shoulder. "We should join the others, right?"

"Right, but don't knock the codename idea just yet. I bet we can get support from the others," grinned Richard, leading Orion.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Orion and Richard entered the room. Ally and Samuel were apparently sparing, combating and testing in speeds. Orion was impressed by the way they jumped about with such acrobatic skill. He could almost see Ally grin with excitement. Billy and Ben were combating the old fashion way, pounding at each other with hearty laughter and fists curled. Each punch barely seemed to dent the mighty armor of the mechs. Simmons stood near the back, arms crossed, carefully watching everyone else.

"Everyone seems to be adjusting well," smiled Richard.

Orion perked, spotting young Bobby in the shadow of Alan's mech. Orion stepped away from Richard's side, coming up behind Bobby. Apparently the two were talking. Nonetheless, the conversation seemed over by the time Orion stepped up beside Bobby.

"We were just discussing rankings and how this might effect Mr Johnson's status," Alan explained.

"Is that so Bobby?" Orion mumbled.

"Yes, sir," mumbled Bobby, lowering his head.

"So you finally woke up, huh Orion?" grinned Alan, placing a hand on Orion's shoulder. "Took us a bit but we came around."

"I wonder why it took us so long," hummed Orion.

"So, Tools, how are things looking," mumbled Alan.

"Kyle?" perked Richard, turning toward the other mech.

"Intel has speed. Demolish has strength. Scout seems good for the small spaces, giving him a stealth advantage. Communication is hard to tell when Simmons hardly speaks or moves," Kyle instructed. "Leader class, untested."

"That's us," nodded Alan, patting Orion on the back. "Shall we spar?"

"Spar?" gasped Orion, stepping back. "I don't the first thing about fighting, even in spar!"

"C'mon, I'll teach you a few things," grinned Alan, leading Orion to the center of the room.

Orion gulped, watching Alan step across from him, arms at his side. Alan's mech was dull in colors, mostly grey. The grin bore sharp fangs, eyes narrowing at Orion. He raised his hands, gripped into tight fists.

"Hit me," ordered Alan.

"Captain, I must disagree…" mumbled Orion. "I know this all for testing purposes and not real but I don't really like the idea of fighting."

Alan lifted his head slightly, smile fading away a moment before returning. It seemed different though. the grin twitched, making the fang like teeth sparkle. Without another word, he charged in. Orion gasped, blocking Alan's swift punch. The others gasped, awestruck by Alan's sudden change. the captain spun around Orion, giving him a swift jab in the back.

"Captain!" gasped Orion, stumbling forward. "Stop!"

"Make me," grinned Alan, holding his arms up.

Orion felt a sudden surge within him. He snarled, turning around and charging for Alan. The captain was shocked a moment, but returned to his pleasant grin. He blocked Orion's first jab, striking him in the stomach. Blinded a moment, Orion saw the inside of the cockpit again before opening his eyes as the machine again. Alan towered over him, Richard and Kyle behind him.

"Might've gone a little too far. My bad…" mumbled Alan. "I wanted to see how strong I could really be. I kinda wanna see if that old man Trion ever taught you anything about fighting."

"Sorry…to disappoint…" growled Orion, standing up slowly. He held his side. Everything ached again.

"I think that's enough for today," sighed Richard. "We can discuss more of this tomorrow."

Everyone piled into the hall, standing their bots back in line. After a moment of waiting, the all clear was given, and they all shut their eyes. Darkness consumed him again but this time Orion didn't panic. This time, it was like waking from a dream. His eyes opened again, the light from outside filtering in. The cockpit opened. Everyone wandered out, complaining about their sore bodies.

"Well that was an experience," grumbled Ally, holding her arm. "I'm gonna feel that tomorrow, Samuel!"

"It's not my fault you can't handle what I dish out," he snickered.

"Orion, you coming?" called Richard, spotting Orion climbing out of his mech.

"Right," mumbled Orion, sliding down the ladder.

Richard grinned, looking over everyone. He wasn't a doctor but it was easy to see everyone was fine, at least on the outside. Orion joined the group last, rubbing the back of his head and offering a small smile. Richard offered him a smile in return, then froze.

"Kyle, grab a med kit!" gasped Richard, pointing at Kyle.

The other scientist leapt, shocked suddenly, then ran off. The others perked, looking over toward him and Orion. Richard stepped up close to Orion, forcing the latter's head back. Orion groaned, slightly confused.

"Orion, you can't feel it can you?" mumbled Richard.

"Feel what?" gasped Orion. "Is something wrong?"

"I must've hit you harder than I thought…" whispered Alan. "I'm sorry, Orion."

Orion's vision blurred in his left eye. He finally felt the soft liquid dripping down the side of his face from his forehead. Kyle returned with the medical kit, along with some of the other on hands assistance. They kept Orion's head back as they applied treatment to the rather large cut on his forehead.

"How bad is it?" groaned Orion, shutting his left eye.

"It might scar," Richard commented. "I should've thought about the physical repercussions. Getting the shell banged about really does damage the inner body."

"Which is why we're sore," added Ally.

"Prolonged workings should relieve soreness," Kyle grinned.

"Though I suggest no more unwilling sparing," snarled Richard, glaring at Richard.

Alan raised his hands in defense, lowering and shaking his head.

"Tomorrow should be interesting then," nodded Samuel. "I'm enjoying this already."

"It was…kinda fun," hummed Bobby. "I like my machine. I don't know what to call it."

"We were thinking of code names," grinned Richard. "Orion suggested it."

"I suggested calling you Ratchet instead of Doctor Tools," gasped Orion. "I said nothing about code names!"

"My friends used to call me Arcee," smiled Ally. "I think I'd like that name for my machine."

"Breakdown," chuckled Ben. "It's an old college name I had."

"I'll think on mine," shrugged Billy, leaving. "Meanwhile, I'm starving!"

"I don't really like most of the nicknames I've got," grumbled Bobby.

Orion watched as the others left. Soon after, the assistance stepped away from him. He felt the bandage on his forehead with one hand. He didn't even feel the pain of the cut originally. Perhaps the shells caused a delay in the nerves. Orion shook his head. Where'd that come from?

"You alright?" whispered Richard.

"Headache," grinned Orion. "For obvious reseasons."

"I'm sorry about that. Kyle felt the same rush of power that the Captain felt. It happens sometimes with the first time use. We expected it," Richard sighed. "We didn't expect him to pound you like that."

"Alan didn't mean it. He was just trying to have a little fun," nodded Orion.

"You are such an optimist," chuckled Richard.

"Yep, optimist," shrugged Orion. An optimistic prime…right?"

"You are in the Prime class…huh?" purred Richard, stroking his chin. "Optimist Prime."

"Optimus?" mumbled Orion.

"Optimus Prime?" Richard perked. "Perfect!"

"No, no!" gasped Orion, waving his hands in protest. "Orion Pax is fine. I'm not a Prime. I don't deserve that honor. I may be an optimist but I'm nothing special."

"If you say so," snickered Richard. "Optimus."

Orion rolled his eyes but smiled.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Richard tapped the pen on the desk. Late. He was late again. He snarled, glancing at the clock. How was it possible for Orion to be late twice in a row, especially when the young scholar was usually so focused on being on time. Checking the clock once again, Richard groaned and stood up. He was fed up waiting for Orion to show himself.

"Kyle, get everyone suited up. I'm gonna get Orion," grumbled Richard.

"Sure thing," grinned Kyle.

Richard headed down the hall, being sure to instruct the assistance on hand to message him should Orion show up without crossing his path. It seemed unlikely though, seeing as Richard was walking down the only hall connecting the machine's testing and the dormitory where Orion was resting. He made it to the dorm in no time, finding Orion's door near the end of the hall.

"Orion, you're late!" shouted Richard, pounding on the door.

Not a sound.

"Orion?" mumbled Richard, pausing in his knocking.

He looked around, spotting a passing guard. Waving the young guard over, Richard motioned for him to help with the door.

"This your room?" the guard mumbled.

"No, a friend's. He was supposed to be at testing a few hours ago and he isn't responding," replied Richard. "Can you open the door?"

The guard nodded, digging out his access pass. The card dinged as it slide across the key station. The door beeped, opening slightly. Richard pushed the door open, peering into the darkness. A sickening feeling sunk in Richard's stomach. The guard stepped in with him.

"Orion?" called Richard, continuing inward. "Orion?"

The guard found the light, activating it and brightening the room. Richard perked, spotting Orion's figure in the bed. He rushed over, seeing Orion's shallow but hurried breathing. One touch on the forehead and Richard's fears were confirmed. He spun around to the guard.

"Get medical!" he ordered.

Orion was burning up, breathing heavy and shivering. The guard, spotting Orion haggard look, ran out of the room. Richard groaned, looking around. He was no medic. He couldn't figure out how to help.

"Was this a delayed reaction?" whispered Richard, looking toward the door. "Was this…"

The medical team rushed in, pushing Richard aside. He felt helpless as they felt Orion's head and moved him onto a stretcher. Richard could hardly move, struck down by fear and doubt.

"You found him?" one of the medicals asked.

"Uh…yes. He's a friend. He's part of the…the, uh, Primus Mech team. He's in testing," Richard explained.

"I see. You think this might have to do with those machines?"

"Yes. A possibly delayed reaction in the system," nodded Richard.

"We'll keep you posted then, but it might be good thing to bring the others down for a quick check up," the medical instructed.

They hurried out, taking Orion with them. Richard remained, hands behind his back.

"This is my fault…" he mumured. "Orion didn't want to be part of this other than research. If he…no! Don't think about that!"

Richard rushed out, returning to the testing area. Everyone was suited up, practicing in the testing room. Alan was sparing with Ben this time, but proving too powerful for the latter to handle. Kyle noticed Richard's entry, though Richard entered without his mech.

"What's up? Where's Orion?" commented Kyle.

"He's…in the emergency room," mumbled Richard.

Feeling small and voice no doubt quieter than the others, he had somehow been heard over everything else, quickly drawing the attention of the others.

"What do you mean emergency room!?" pleaded Alan. "What happened?"

"High fever, shallow breathing, cold…very cold," Richard mumbled. "Medical…wants to see everybody. Just to be certain this isn't going to spread."

"Wait!? That was caused to by using these things!?" gasped Ally, marching toward the hall. "I'm getting out this thing…"

"It was probably just a fluke, right Richard?" Kyle smirked.

"Maybe. We won't be certain until testing it done," Richard nodded. "So everybody out."

The group nodded in agreement, moving to the hall to power down. Richard sighed, walking out. He would probably head to the medical lab, checking in on Orion. He wouldn't die, Richard assured himself. He stopped in the lab room.

"He won't…die…" whispered Richard. "He can't…"


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Richard was deep in thought. The last few days had been hectic to say the least. It had been two days since Orion had been sent to the medical lab. Everyone checked out clear. It was only Orion who had been infected by the system, which wasn't completely unnatural but problematic in curing it.

"Hey, you reviewing the files?" Kyle mumbled, leaning on the back of Richard's chair. "How boring."

"If you had done this work when I told you to," snarled Richard. "I wouldn't have to worry about it now!"

"Shesh!" yawned Kyle. "Relax."

"I can't believe you got assigned to this mess," mumbled Richard.

If memory served, Richard had met Kyle at orientation and the two could not be more different. He remembered Kyle being a problem child among the new recruits, getting into trouble every which way. Until recently being brought under Captain Megatronus, Kyle was on a one way trip to jail if not the psychiatric ward.

Richard snapped out of the memory. Kyle wasn't like that anymore, at least not openly. Kyle used to dissect anything he could get his hands on, the leading cause of his problems. Now, he had either stopped or was much better at hiding it.

"I'm gonna head back to my room," he purred. "I've gotta few things to take care of on my own, thank you very much."

"Kyle," Richard sighed. "Do you think these suits…are a good idea still?"

"They'll help everybody, right? That's what you keep saying," shrugged Kyle. "Honestly though, I'd prefer to tear them apart."

Richard felt a chill run down his spine, glancing over his shoulder. Kyle grinned, staring up.

"I wanna see what makes these makes tick…"

Richard flashed back to his first meeting with Kyle's darker half. The darkened room. Blood dripped off the table. Kyle gently setting down the blooded tools. His eyes gleaming, teeth sharp as he grinned back at Richard in the doorway. They were young, new recruits. He spoke those same words, echoing through the room.

"I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?" hummed Kyle, waving goodbye as he left.

"Yeah…bye," whimpered Richard, turning back to his folders.

He had a file on everyone, reviewing their history and family. Captain Megatronus was born and raised in Kaon, only child and last member of his family. Simmons was from Polyhex, youngest of two, mother deceased. Benjamin grew up in the same area as Kyle, Hydrax Plateau. Richard had visited there once before. It was a hive of criminal activity.

"Mr. Tools, are we talk?"

Richard looked up, glancing behind me. Sentinel and Trion stood behind him. Richard sighed by nodded, getting out of his chair. Trion grinned, offering to shake Richard's hand. Sentinel shook his head, groaning.

"We were just curious about how things were going on your end," explained Trion.

"Did you find out why it caused that illness within Orion?" snapped Sentinel.

"No, sir. From the looks of things, it was simply Orion's body and the machine reacting and bonding. Orion's body fought the process while he was within it but once he exited the bonding effects took…well, affect," explained Richard. "Speaking of machine bonding, Lieutenant, you need to bond with your Sentinel Mech."

"I've been far too busy," grumbled Sentinel.

"So have I," sighed Richard. "But if you refuse to claim your mech, Kyle and I will either find a new host for it or we will dismantle it for studying purposes."

"Dismantle?" gasped Sentinel.

"Studying?" hummed Trion. "If you do such, would you be able to create more?"

"Possibly," nodded Richard.

"We're currently searching the area around the dig site. We're hoping we might find more," Trion offered. "Until then, I hope to see this project go through."

"Yes, sir," agreed Richard.

Sentinel groaned, rolling his eyes before leaving. Trion remained behind, listening to the patter of Sentinel's feet. Richard sighed, hearing the door shut. Trion chuckled soon after.

"Richard, my boy, are you well?" Trion hummed.

"I'm just tired, sir," yawned Richard.

"Tired or worried?" remarked Trion. "Orion will recover. He is stronger than you think."

"Heh, right. Orion wouldn't hurt a fly," chuckled Richard. "Whatever's eating his system, he probably wouldn't hurt that either."

"Orion will fight for his life, though he will fight for his friends' life with greater purpose," urged Trion. "I have seen that boy's spirit. When unleashed, there is no stopping him."

Richard paused, looking at Trion is shock. He couldn't think about Orion in any other way than the charming man he's been, smiling and helping others. Thinking about him as an unstoppable force was impossible. Richard perked, thinking back to the other day, the way Orion charged Alan and almost knocked the Captain off guard.

"Unstoppable, huh?" remarked Richard. "I'd like to see that someday."

"I also heard something about him being a Prime, hmm?" grinned Trion.

"According to the Primus journal, which Orion has possession of, the final Leader Class was known as a Prime," Richard explained.

"And Orion is the only one capable of using it," smirked Trion. "Fitting. Optimus Prime."

"How'd you…" gasped Richard.

"Word travels, my boy. Optimus for optimistic, yes? Even more fitting than the Prime title," chuckled Trion. "The boy is truly something."

"You favor him highly," Richard nodded.

"He is a light in this darkened world. While most fools these days are selfish, Orion is completely selfless, devoted to those he trusts and seeing the light in all those around him."

"I can't help but think, sir…" mumbled Richard.

"Of?"

"How this all played out," he remarked, "How digging with the new energy drill began the same day Orion arrived. How the location for digging had switched mere days before Orion arrived. How all those things began because you gave the order."

"You think I knew where Primus' lost works was? That I brought Orion here for this singular purpose?" Trion smirked. "Quite the idea, my boy."

"It is," shrugged Richard. "I'm sorry sir, but I must get back to work."

"I understand," nodded Trion, taking his leave. "Good luck, my boy."

Richard perked at the last part of Trion's farewell. He gulped. How far was this going to go?


End file.
